Assessment of the Effectiveness and Satisfaction of Platelet-Rich Plasma Compared with Hyaluronic Acid in Knee Osteoarthritis at Minimum 7-Year Follow-Up: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study compared the mid-term effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) versus hyaluronic acid (HA) injections in treating knee osteoarthritis in 100 patients, with 85 completing the follow-up. The results showed that PRP had a higher cumulative survival rate (90% vs. 74%) and a lower re-intervention rate (16.2% vs. 56.7%) compared to HA. PRP also resulted in better outcomes on the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), with significant differences between the groups. Satisfaction was higher in the PRP group (78.6% vs. 55.8%), and no complications were reported. However, no differences were found in imaging evaluations between the two treatments. Overall, PRP was more effective and satisfactory than HA for knee osteoarthritis.